Should I buy Phantom Menace on LD? (1 Viewer)

[Huw Williams]

With rumours that the DVD isn't as good as the DVD soundtrack, should I buy the LD?
The LD contains the theatrical cut aswell.
Put your case forward!
Cheers
Huw Williams

 

[Rob Gillespie]

By all means buy it if you want an inferior picture, no extra material, two side/platter breaks, Japanese subtitles that you can't remove and want to spend three times as much money.
The DVD sounds different to the LD. 'Worse' is a subjective opinion, and one based on the assumption that the LD is the 'correct' version, which is something that no-one really knows.
[Edited last by Rob Gillespie on October 11, 2001 at 07:35 AM]

 

[Huw Williams]

Thanks Rob
I've wanted a reason NOT to buy it, when I can just buy the superior DVD with anamorphic transfer. ANYTHING is better than the useless VHS copy. A widescreen VHS zoomed on my 28" widescreen....YUK. No thanks
Cheers
Huw
[Edited last by Huw Williams on October 11, 2001 at 07:48 AM]

 

[Martino]

The main problem I had with this LD was the subtitles for all of the "non-english" characters in the movie. This is the worst with Wato and Anikin - you do not have the english subtitles to figure out what is going on.

 

[Charlie Essmeier]

In addition to all the other negatives already mentioned, you will also own a copy of The Phantom Menace. That alone is reason enough to stay away.
Charlie

 

[mark_d]

Har-de-fuckin-har.
Mark

 

[alan halvorson]

I believe you can remove the Japanese subtitles if you have an LD+G capable LD player, which not many in the USA have (I don't). I've owned the LD for quite a while and I'm keeping it. I'm also getting the DVD. If I didn't own the LD, I would still try to obtain a copy, but only if I could get it cheap (Ebay prices have fallen but not quite as far as I expected. In fact, lately, they seem to rising).
------------------
They're coming to take me away, ha-haaa!!
They're coming to take me away, ho-ho, hee-hee, ha-haaa To the funny farm. Where life is beautiful all the time and I'll be happy to see those nice young men in their clean white coats and they're coming to take me away, ha-haaa!!!!!
- Napoleon XIV
[Edited last by alan halvorson on October 11, 2001 at 09:43 AM]

 

[Huw Williams]

Thanks for the input Charlie. But I've been waiting for this film since I saw Jedi years ago. The film isn't fantastic and I thought it was a slight let-down, but I enjoyed it. I just want to see it in the best possible quality. Which seems to be the DVD.

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

If you are obsessive about these things, the main attraction of the LD would be that it is the only way to view the original theatrical cut with multichannel 5.1 sound, but you already indicated that you knew that in your original post. Personally, I would not pay an arm and a leg for it, but if it went for a fire sale price, I might pick it up. If you want to see people really singing the praises of the Japanese laserdisc, though, read the text in all of the e-bay postings over the next few weeks.
Regards,
------------------
Ken McAlinden
Livonia, MI USA

 

[Rachael B]

LD-Graphics capable players, the Denon LA-3500 was the only thusly equiped U.S. model, cannot remove the subtitles from the LD. They can superimpose the English subtitles on track 2 over top of the "burned-in" Japanese subs. I can do this with my LD-S9. I'm keeping my copy of the LD. I'm so sick of the movie at this point, I wonder if I need buy a copy of the DVD...?
------------------
Rachael, the big disc cat! "...Mandrake, have you ever seen a commie drink water..."
AFI Film Challenge, hey I've only got 1 to go!

 

[Rob Gillespie]

Haha, Rachael beet me to it again!
I have a Japanese CLD-HF9G with LD+G capability - and you can't turn them off.

 

[Dan Brecher]

Huw, seriously, you don't need the LD. No one should be put of by the minor critisisms given to the DVDs 5.1 from a few people (myself included) and you certainly should not be put off by the ridiculous comments that the DVD sounds awful in comparison.
Flawed in minor areas as I feel the DVD is (in both image and sound), the DVD is the finest overal home video presentation of Phantom Menace you will be able to get your hands on.
Dan (UK)

 

[Jerry Gracia]

This is a no brainer...why am I even responding.
Here, I have two cars.
One is a beat up 1975 model and the other is a brand new 2002 model.
Which one do you want?
------------------
LuvLBX
[Edited last by Jerry Gracia on October 11, 2001 at 12:48 PM]

 

[Clinton McClure]

I'll buy the DVD because I want it. I'll keep my LD to piss off the neighbors.

------------------
http://www.dvdprofiler.com/mycollection.asp?alias=mport_drivrCasa del Clint

 

[Michael Lee]

Does the LD play louder with greater bass extension? Yes
Does the LD have the original theatrical presentation? Yes
Does the LD have supplementary material? Not that I know of
I would not sell my LD because I am very glad to have it. But I still enjoy the DVD immensely. Like others have said, it sounds like a different mix from the LD, but it still sounds damn good...one of the best I have ever heard. I know I will be playing the DVD more often than LD...a lot more. Because it has much better video and great supplementary material. Plus my LD players have not been hooked up in my new house yet

.
------------------
Link Removed
My Home Theater Pics
My Equipment List
My DVD Collection
Link Removed

 

[William Ward]

This is my two cents. If you already have it, keep it. It's good to have the original theatrical cut.
The nitpicking of the people over the sound of the movie typically have the sound portion of the HT costing near $2K or more(me included). We have very nitpicky tastes and will often make a minor problem seem more than it is. On a scale of 1 to 100, the LD is generally referred to as 100. Some may say it's a bit 'hot' in the bass area. I haven't compared the DVD but the feeling I get from others is that it's about a 96 or 97. It's a soundtrack that is generally very aggressive so it's not like going from Digital sound to mono or something.
Bottom line - unless you find it for $30 or so, don't buy the LD. Especially don't pay over $50 for it.
PS: If the DVD is as bad as the original JP DTS compared to the JP DD LD, then you might think about getting the LD. I don't think it will be that bad. The dialnorm is for all channels so simply lifting the volume won't have the adverse effects as lifting the LFE/SW channel on JP DTS.
------------------
William
Go Bucs!!
MyDVDs

 

[Mattias_ka]

Jerry Gracia: hahaha, I don't think so. I have seen the LD on my HLD-X9 and the picture is superb and I can promise you that the picture on the dvd cannot be much better. Some better but not much. And the LD's sound...Well, lucky me.

 

[alan halvorson]

I stand corrected on my LD+G comment - corrected by those who ought to know!
------------------
They're coming to take me away, ha-haaa!!
They're coming to take me away, ho-ho, hee-hee, ha-haaa To the funny farm. Where life is beautiful all the time and I'll be happy to see those nice young men in their clean white coats and they're coming to take me away, ha-haaa!!!!!
- Napoleon XIV

 

[DarrenA]

the main attraction of the LD would be that it is the only way to view the original theatrical cut with multichannel 5.1 sound

I'm so happy to have the sound mixer from Lucasfilm here to verify that the LD soundtrack is indeed the identical soundtrack as the theatrical cut. Would you be so kind as to tell us what you did differently on the DVD soundtrack?
------------------
DarrenA
The Academy Home Theater

 

[Seth Paxton]

I believe he was indicating the FILM cut, not a soundtrack mix.
With a new cut of the film on the DVD and VHS being incapable of Dolby Digital, there is only one source for an original cut of the film with a 5.1 soundtrack...the LD.